Detecting a spoofed call

Abstract

A system can be operable to receive a call from a communication device and identify whether the call is a spoofed based on, for example, whether a caller party user equipment associated with a caller identification number (caller ID number) is in an “idle” status, whether there are inconsistencies in the geographic location associated with a calling party's network and the geographic location determined to be associated with the caller ID number presented, and whether the phone number presented as the caller ID number is registered with a calling party's network.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device, comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising: 
 determining, according to a consistency criterion, whether a second geographic area associated with an area code of a caller identification number of a call from a communication device is inconsistent with a first geographic area, determined using an indicator associated with the call, associated with a service network from which the call originated; and 
 in response to determining that the second geographic area is inconsistent with the first geographic area, sending a message to network equipment associated with the service network, wherein the message comprises a request to determine whether the caller identification number is registered for use of a service associated with a provider entity enabled via the service network. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to determining that the caller identification number is not registered for the use of the service associated with the provider entity, facilitating blocking the call. 
 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to determining that the caller identification number is registered for the use of the service associated with the provider entity, determining that the call is not spoofed. 
 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 3 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 allowing the call to connect. 
 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 3 , wherein the call is a first call, and wherein the operations further comprise:
 allowing a second call to connect to a call destination in response to the second call being determined not to be spoofed. 
 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 5 , wherein the second call comprises the area code and originates from network equipment associated with the service network. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the service network is a first service network, and wherein a destination of the call is associated with a second service network operated by a second provider entity. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the service network comprises an internet protocol network. 
     
     
       9. A method, comprising:
 based on a result of comparing a second geographic area, associated with an area code of a caller identification number of a call from a mobile device, with a first geographic area associated with a service network from which the call originated, determining, by network equipment comprising a processor, whether the second geographic area is inconsistent with the first geographic area determined using an indicator associated with the call, wherein the service network is associated with a provider entity; and 
 in response to determining, by the network equipment, that the second geographic area is inconsistent with the first geographic area, sending, by the network equipment, a message to a provider device that is associated with the provider entity and that is part of the service network, wherein the message comprises a request to determine whether the caller identification number is registered to use the service network. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 facilitating, by the network equipment, querying service network equipment that is part of the service network to determine whether the caller identification number is registered to use the service network; and 
 in response to determining that the caller identification number is not registered to use the service network, blocking, by the network equipment, the call. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the service network is a first service network, wherein a network element that services the call resides in the first service network, and wherein a destination of the call is associated with a second service network associated with a second provider entity. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 in response to receiving a second message via the service network that the caller identification number is registered to use the service network, preventing, by the network equipment, a blocking of the call. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the service network comprises an internet protocol network. 
     
     
       14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of network equipment, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 determining whether a second geographic area associated with an area code of a caller identification number of a call from a user equipment is inconsistent with a first geographic area determined using an indicator associated with the call, associated with a service network, associated with a service provider entity, from which the call has been routed; and 
 in response to determining that the second geographic area is inconsistent with the first geographic area, sending a message to service network equipment associated with the service network, wherein the message comprises a request to determine whether the caller identification number is registered to use a service enabled via the service network. 
 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to determining that the caller identification number is not registered to use the service, facilitating blocking the call. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to determining that the caller identification number is registered to use the service, determining that the call is not a spoofed call. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 allowing the call to connect. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the call is a first call, and wherein the operations further comprise:
 allowing a second call to connect to a call destination in response to the second call being determined not to be spoofed. 
 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the second call comprises the area code, and wherein the second call is determined to have been initiated via the service network. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the service network is a first service network, and wherein a destination of the call is associated with a second service network associated with a second service provider entity.